So far, scientists aren’t absolutely sure what causes lupus but they think it may have something to do with a STAT4 gene deficiency, which also plays a role in rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers at the Feinstein Institute in New York found that approximately 22% of the US population inherits the troublesome form of STAT4, which the body may see as foreign matter, thus attacking it. They say that patients with lupus are twice as likely to have this STAT4 variant. They also found that the gene was prevalent in Korea, which could explain why Asians are more susceptible to systemic lupus erythematosus. Women are also more at-risk for developing this painful autoimmune disease. However, if carefully monitored, most patients can live a normal life span.

There are five types of lupus: systemic lupus erythematosus, which affects the joints and organs; discoid lupus, which affects the skin; sub-acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, which is characterized by skin lesions; drug-induced lupus that develops after a drug reaction; and neonatal lupus that affects newborns. Lupus signs include: fatigue, fever, weight loss/gain, joint pain/stiffness/swelling, butterfly rashes on the cheeks, skin lesions that worsen with sunlight, mouth sores, fingers and toes that turn white or blue in the cold, shortness of breath, chest pain, dry eyes, easy bruising, anxiety, depression and/or memory loss.

The Lupus Foundation says there are no two cases of lupus that are exactly alike. Signs may emerge gradually or come on suddenly, and can be mild or severe. Most people have “flare-ups” or episodes. To test for lupus, your doctor will ask you some questions, run a standard physical, take urine and blood samples and perform an electrocardiogram.

More On: Types Of Lupus

Technorati Tags: arthritis, lupus, types of lupus

Quickly bookmark The Types Of Lupus at:                                                

This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 3:52 pm and is filed under Health & Beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.